Secret Admirer
by dragongoddess13
Summary: She deserved the world and he was going to give it to her, if for no other reason than to see her smile. No Voldemort AU. 4/4
1. Part I

Secret Admirer

Part I

A/N: This is no Voldemort AU. He was defeated in 1980 and everyone lives.

Face Casts:

Hermione Granger: Emma Watson

Theodore Nott: (Young) Wentworth Miller

xXx

The first package came for Hermione with the morning post on Monday. A long rectangular box wrapped in brown paper and secured with red ribbon.

"What is it?" Ron asked, his mouth full of food. With George on one side of her and Fred on the other they leaned into her space and grinned.

"How would she know?" George replied.

"She hasn't opened it yet, Ronniekins." Fred finished, mockingly.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense, open it." Ginny piped up from Harry's side across the table.

All Gryffindor eyes were on her as she carefully untied the ribbon. Soon enough she was pulling off the lid, sending an audible gasp around the table at what was revealed.

Hermione stared in awe of the most beautiful long stemmed red roses she had ever laid eyes on. They were perfectly laid, not a flaw among their velvety red petals and they were all tied together with a matching red bow; flecks of gold streaked through it.

"There's a card." Fred said pointing to the tiny envelope tucked near the bottom. Hermione pulled it free and opened it.

Hermione read it to herself a smile spreading across her lips.

"Well, what does it say?" Ginny exclaimed unable to take the suspense.

"The course of true love never did run smooth." George recited, reading over her shoulder. Hermione rolled her eyes and gently nudged them out of her personal space.

"It's a line from one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, _A Midsummer's Nights Dream_." Hermione explained. She read the card again, the same smile starting again, before she carefully slipped the card back into the envelope and then into her pocket.

"That's so romantic." Lavender cooed on Ron's far side.

Ron sneered, "Their just flowers." But Lavender ignored him. Sighing wistfully as the box was resealed and Hermione stood up.

"No worried Lav Lav, I'm sure you'll find someone who will send you flowers one day." Fred replied. Hermione tried not to laugh at Ron's outrage.

"What about me?" He exclaimed without thinking, as usual.

"What about you?" George questioned. All at once the fight drained out of Ron as he considered his lack of argument.

"I'm going to drop these off in the dorm. I'll see you in class." Hermione spoke up, cutting off the argument that was inevitable.

"Wait, hold on, you never said who they were from." Ron stopped her short.

"There was no name." Hermione told him shortly, before turning on her heels and walking out.

"Probably sent them to herself." Ron muttered when she was gone, missing the pointed glares from his siblings as he tucked into his breakfast again.

The second package came with the evening post. A small box wrapped in brown paper and secured with twine.

"Another one?" Ron questioned, barely covering his outrage. He was largely ignored.

"What is it this time?" Ginny asked excitedly, leaning to the side as far as possible. Hermione opened the box. "A cupcake?" Ginny continued confused. She looked up to see Hermione smiling brightly.

"It's not just any cupcake." she told her.

"What's so special about it?" Fred asked.

"Does it make you grow?" George continued.

"Or does it cure boils?" Fred added.

"Ooo, or maybe it turns your tongue green." George suggested.

"It doesn't do anything but taste good." Hermione interrupted their back and forth. "It's my favorite from my favorite bakery in London."

Hermione replaced the lid and pulled the tag card off the twine.

"The sight of lovers feedeth those in love." Hermione read aloud.

"More Shakespeare?" Neville questioned. Hermione nodded.

Through the course of the week eight more packages came, all of which were relatively simple, but no less thoughtful or beautiful for that matter. Whoever was sending them, had to know her well. The gifts included various bouquets of flowers, books and her favorite sweet treats, all of which were near impossible to get from Hogwarts given that all of them came from muggle shops.

"So whoever is sending this stuff must be muggleborn." Ginny guessed after the tenth package, a leather bound copy of Shakespeare's _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ , was dropped with the evening post on Friday night.

"What makes you say that?" Harry asked, lifting the pillow on his lap as Ginny threw her legs across his, her back against the arm of the sofa.

"Well, a bunch of the gifts come from muggle shops, so they'd have to have someone physically go there and then send it through the post."

"That doesn't mean it's a muggle born." Fred replied. "It could be a half blood."

"Or a pureblood." George added.

Ron snorted. "You can rule out Slytherins then."

"It's not 1980 anymore. Even some of the staunchest pureblood extremists have turned over a new leaf as they say." Neville replied.

"Yeah, whatever." Ron muttered, slouching down into the couch cushions. He didn't like this conversation one bit. In fact, this entire week had been awful. It wasn't enough that Hermione was getting those packages, but everyone insisted on talking about them too. Speculation was circulating over her secret admirer, ranging anywhere from Viktor Krum to someone trying to prank her. Ron was still, at least partially, convinced that she was sending them too herself. How else could someone gift her with things so personal so specific.

"Hey, where is Hermione anyway?" Fred spoke up.

Ginny shrugged. "I think she said she was going to the library."


	2. Part II

Secret Admirer

Part II

xXx

Someone was crying.

A young woman from the sounds of it.

Theodore Nott was on his way back to the Slytherin Common room after a few hours studying in the library, when the sound grabbed his attention. He diverted his path through the cold stone corridors, stopping outside an unused room hidden in a corner of the catacombs.

The old wooden door was cracked open and Theo peaked in, picking out a bundled up shape on the floor in the dark. He debated turning around, leaving them alone to deal with their issues on their own, but there was a nagging voice in the back of his mind that told him he should go in there.

"Hermione?" Theo questioned as the door swung open and the light from the hallway hit her form, curled up on the dusty floor. She looked up sharply, before looking away, rubbing the tears from her eyes and cheeks.

Theo clenched a fist at his side, resisting the urge to go to her, to pull her into his arms and never let her go. It still concerned him that she had this much power over him, affecting him whenever she was around, invading his thoughts when she wasn't.

Hermione had been a surprise from the beginning. It started with Draco on the train. It was only 1992, only twelve years since the end of the war, since the monster was defeated by Dumbledore, so despite many pureblood families making reparations and turning their ideologies around, there were still those who looked down on them. He couldn't blame them really, but at the same time it highly counterproductive. They wanted peace and yet they still shunned those who were trying to change, to be better. Theo could admit it hurt a bit. He was only a newborn when the war ended, his mother dying in childbirth and his father sentenced to life in Azkaban. He was raised by his godparents, the Malfoys, the most influential pureblood family that made the biggest strides to change. And yet, he was still treated by some as if he were just like his father.

Hermione had been warned about them. _The children of Death Eaters_. She didn't seem to care. It started with Draco on the train. She had come into their compartment looking for Neville's toad and they ended up in conversation about various books both magical and muggle. She'd recommended a few that had become some of Draco's favorites over the years. When Neville had come looking for her to tell her he'd found his toad he'd looked a bit pale when he realized who she was talking to, but Hermione ignored it, pulled him into the compartment and introduced him. He 'd relaxed when he realized they were all sincere and thanks to Hermione that was one more non-slytherin who wouldn't be afraid of them (and honestly, of everyone who had a right to hate them it was Neville).

Once classes had started, Theo regularly found Hermione in the library, studying endlessly. He couldn't understand why she was so obsessive about her school work, until he realized that to some extent she had most likely always been that way and that fact hadn't won her any points with her schoolmates, up to and including Ron Weasley, who'd called her a nightmare where she could hear him on Halloween their first year. Of course, she hadn't stayed mad for long. That night, somehow, a troll had gotten into the dungeon and made it up into the school proper. Hermione had missed the announcement when they evacuated everyone back to the dorms and thanks to Harry Potter's quick thinking they remembered to go after her. No one really knew what happened for sure in that bathroom, but the next day Harry, Ron and Hermione were suddenly hanging out together and had been inseparable since.

"Hello Theo." she replied, sniffing. Her voice was still strained, fighting off the urge to start crying again.

Theo took a step inside. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She sniffed again. "Yes, I'm alright."

Theo stood in the doorway for a moment. On the one hand she may not want to talk about this, which would explain why she had come all the way down here. On the the other hand, she clearly wasn't okay.

Theo sighed, closing the door behind him and making his way over to her. He slid down the wall, sitting beside her, much to her obvious surprise.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "You'll get all dirty. The floor is filthy."

"Oh, but it's okay for you to sit in the dirt?" he asked. She didn't reply. He was fairly certain she was blushing, but it was significantly darker in the room with the door closed. With that thought he pulled out his wand and struck a lumos. "So," he began. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing really to talk about." she replied. Theo gave her a pointed look when she finally looked up at him again. She stared back, almost challenging him to let it go. It wasn't going to happen. She sighed. "It's stupid really."

"So it's about Weasley then."

"Why do you assume that?" she asked.

Why did he assume that? Maybe because every time she had been upset in the last five years, it had almost always been something that Ron had said to her. A backhanded comment about her swottiness, an insensitive comment about her looks or a topic she was passionate about. There really wasn't any evidence, in his opinion, to suggest that Ron wasn't always responsible for her bad moods, whether she was sad or mad or frustrated, he always seemed to get a rise out of her. Draco had a theory that he knew exactly what he was doing but then again, that may be giving him a bit too much credit.

"Because you said it was stupid. He seems to be the only one who can hurt you this much."

Hermione looked up at him, her expresion unreadable for the first time in all the years he'd known her. "That's... _really_ pathetic isn't it?" a few tears slipped down her cheeks and Theo resisted the urge to reach over and wipe them away. "I just, I guess on some level I don't have any right to be upset, but, of all the girls he could be with it just had to be Lavender Brown." she sneered the girls name. Theo couldn't really blame her, he'd heard and seen enough about Hermione and Lavender's interactions to know anyone who called themself her best friend would steer clear of the girl. Then again, Theo had never been convinced that Ron was really her friend. At least, he'd never known a friend to treat someone as badly as Ron tended to treat Hermione. And of course Hermione took it, because at some point she seemed to realize that she had feelings for him, she'd confided as much to him the year before. "I guess I was just hoping this would be the year he would notice me." she confessed sadly.

"Can I be honest with you, Hermione?" he asked.

"When are you ever not?" she replied. He gave her a little smile in reply.

"I don't think Ron will ever be mature enough for you, Hermione." he explained carefully. "You're both so different and I know they say opposites attract, but even those opposites still have some things in common."

Hermione seemed to deflate, leaning her head back against the wall. "Maybe you're right. I mean, it's probably not very healthy to have a crush on someone who always finds a way to make you angry."

"Agreed."

"I just, I don't know, I guess I pictured a little more of the future than I probably should have. Musings of a naive teenager."

Theo didn't answer right away, looking for the right words. "The course of true love never did run smooth." he finally replied.

Hermione looked up at him the first hint of happiness he'd seen that evening, sparkling in her eyes.

" _A Midsummer's Night's Dream_? That's my favorite Shakespeare play."

"Is it? I would have thought it would have been _A Winter's Tale_."

Hermione laughed. "I can see why you would think that."

Theo smiled.

"Ugh, this floor is filthy." she muttered after the laughter died down.

Theo chuckled. "You know I've heard that somewhere before." Theo stood, then turned and offered her a hand up, pulling her to her feet. He watched as she dusted off the seat of her pants.

"Thank you, Theo. Your a good friend." she told him. She looked up, wondering why she hadn't noticed how tall he was before, or handsome for that matter.

"I'm glad I could help. Do you want me to walk you back to Gryffindor Tower?"

"No, that's alright. I think I'm just going to go down to the library until I have to do my rounds. I don't really feel like being up there with everyone celebrating."

Theo smiled softly at her. "I can understand that. I'm always up for time in the library if you want some company."

Hermione smiled back. "I'd like that."


	3. Part III

Secret Admirer

Part III

xXx

The first package came for Hermione with the morning post on Monday. A long rectangular box wrapped in simple brown paper and secured with a satiny red ribbon. Simple yet elegant, just like the young woman it was meant for.

"Careful Theo, you're a little obvious there." Draco leaned over, following Theo's line of sight across the great hall. "Did you send her that?"

"Maybe." Theo replied, watching as Hermione pulled the lid off the box. Thankfully she was facing the Slytherin table.

"Hm, red roses, good call." Draco continued. "Who knew you were such a romantic."

Theo sighed, turning to look at his stepbrother. "Do you mind, I'm trying to appreciate the moment."

Draco threw his hands up defensively and drew back, a mocking smirk on his face. Theo didn't rise to the unspoken bait, turning back just in time to watch Hermione open the card. He bit back a smile as he watched hers spread across her face. She spoke to the table a moment later as she slipped the card into her pocket. When the box was resealed she stood from the table, ignoring Ron and Lavender as they both spoke with Fred and George Weasley.

Hermione turned to walk away only for Ron to call out, stopping her. She said something which didn't seem to sit well with Ron before turning on her heels and walking out.

"Not going after her mate?" Draco spoke up again when she was gone. Theo sighed, looking back at the table to fix himself another cup of tea.

"You're particularly annoying today." Theo finally replied. Draco didn't look the slightest bit repentant.

"What can I say Mate, it's about damn time."

Theo rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't." Draco shook his head. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. The point is, you finally did something about your crush. Does she know they're from you?"

"What's the answer that ends this conversation?"

Draco scowled. "Seriously, Theo, I'm just looking out for you."

Theo smirked. He had very little doubt his adopted brother didn't have his best interest in mind. "And I appreciate that, but maybe a little space while we figure this out, huh?" he replied, standing from the table.

Draco sighed. "Fine," he relented. "But I expect details eventually."

Theo shook his head, walking away.

The second package came with the evening post. A small box wrapped in brown shipping paper and secured with twine. Ron was a bit red in the face as he spoke, but no one seemed to be paying him any attention. Ginny on the other looked excited as she watched Hermione unwrap the simple package.

Hermione was once again facing the Slytherin table a fact he was certain was no coincidence. She looked utterly thrilled by the contents, lighting butterflies in his stomach as she looked up, smiling brightly.

"What's this one?" Draco asked, keeping his voice low.

"A cupcake from her favorite bakery." Theo replied.

"Ooo, not bad."

Theo rolled his eyes. "I can't tell you what it means to me to have your approval." he added, sarcasm dripping.

Draco merely grinned. "I know. And of course I will always be here to tell you when you are wrong."

"Gee, thanks."

"I've got your back, mate."

Theo sighed. He watched Hermione on and off for the rest of dinner. Every so often she would look across the Great Hall at him, her eyes sparkling with joy. A vast improvement over her demeanor on Saturday night. It had been painful to watch her so upset that night, crying over someone who didn't deserve her tears.

Theo had spent a disproportionate amount of time the next day coming up with ways to hurt Ronald Weasley the way he had hurt Hermione, but at the end of the day he knew she wouldn't want that. So, he settled on a much different course of action. A little something to brighten her day and maybe even piss off Ron in the process.

The rest of the week, two packages a day were delivered, one with each post. Each time Theo watched as Hermione's face lit up, her friends enjoying how happy she seemed to be. It also didn't hurt that Ron seemed more and more agitated by the attention she was receiving by the still unnamed admirer.

Every night after dinner Theo would meet Hermione in the library to study. She would thank him for the gifts and tell him that he didn't have to do that for her, but he would brush it off and they would get to studying, at least for a little while. At some point they would "take a break" disappearing into the hidden alcoves at the back of the library, like they had on that first night.

That first night had been interesting. They hadn't meant to spend all that time in the library the way they had, but Hermione had wanted to be as far away from other people as possible, so they made their way into the back, a small area backed into the farthest wall and surrounded by bookshelves. There was a little two person sofa and a small table that had seen better days there. Hermione and Theo had made themselves comfortable and talked for a good long while.

They talked about pretty much anything that came to mind, from classes to their home life. He asked her all sorts of questions about growing up as a muggle and in return she asked him about pureblood traditions. The topics of their conversations varied throughout the night. She'd mention little things from the muggle world without thinking and then have to explain it, which only seemed to excite Theo, to the point where she invited him to visit her when they were home for breaks.

Neither of them were really sure when it had happened. He'd like to think it wasn't so stereotypical that all it took was her laughing at one of his jokes to work up the courage to tell her that he had a crush on her. She took it well though, and even admitted that she could see herself feeling the same for him. That was when he decided to woo her. She told him that she had every reason to give him a chance and he was absolutely going to put the effort in to win her over and steal her away from the asshole who didn't even know he was at risk of losing the best thing that could ever happen to him.

xXx

The corridors were mostly empty, only a stray student or two going to and from the great hall and the dorms. It was quiet and Theo loved every minute of it. This was one of his favorite times of day. The sun was just setting, the air was crisp and the usual chatter and bustle of his fellow students was low. It was perfect.

Theo didn't find her that Friday night in their usual place. Instead he found a note waiting for him.

"Room of Requirements"

Theo made his way up, expertly avoiding any other students and teachers. Once there, he followed the usual routine and thinking of her, revealing a door in the once empty space. Theo reached forward and opened the door, pushing it inward and stepping through.

Beyond the door was a room Theo had never seen before. The walls were lavender and judging by the bed it was undoubtedly a bedroom. Hermione sat cross legged on the bed and smiled at him when their eyes met.

"Is this your room?" he asked.

"It is. It was the first place I thought of, but if you want to change it."

"That's alright. I like it. It's very… you." he told her, smirking as she looked away to hide the blush.

"So why here instead of the library?" he asked, moving closer to the bed. He set his bag down on the floor and took a seat on the edge.

"I just thought that since it's Friday and we don't have class tomorrow, we could just… hang out?"

Theo was certain she hadn't meant that to come out as a question. She looked concerned as she said it, like she was worried he would reject her all of a sudden. "I'd like that." he replied putting her mind at ease. She smiled again, lighting a swarm of butterflies in his stomach.

The night was spent in comfortable conversation, the lights dim as they talked in soft tones. Hermione was delighted to hear more stories of his childhood, entirely enamored with the opulence of Peacocks roaming the Malfoy estate. Theo on the other hand was mesmerized by her descriptions of her favorite family holidays to the shore.

Theo wasn't entirely sure how they had gotten here. One minute they were talking about something innocuous and the next Hermione was on her back, his lips sealed to hers, her legs tangled with his. His head was spinning but in the best way. Hermione moaned as he trailed his lips down the side of her neck, sucking a mark into her collar bone.

"Theo." she breathed as he kissed his way back up.

"You're so beautiful." he muttered as he planted kisses here and there. He pulled away after one last kiss along her jaw. He stared down at her, memorizing the way her face flushed and her eyes glazed over in lust. "Tomorrow starts another Hogsmeade weekend." he began softly. "Would you do me the honor of going with me?"

Hermione smiled up at him. "I would love to." she replied, hooking a finger into the collar of his shirt and pulling him down to her again.


	4. Part IV

Secret Admirer

Part IV

xXx

"Did anyone see Hermione last night?" Harry asked. There was a long pause as realization dawned on those gathered in the great hall.

"Come to think of it, no." Fred replied. "Did she come in at all last night?" he asked Lavender.

"She did come in, but not last night." Lavender answered, slightly judgy. "She came in early this morning, around four. She went straight to bed and was still sleeping when I left."

"Huh, I wonder where she could have been." George asked. "Up to no good perhaps." He laughed elbowing Fred beside him who laughed along.

"Please, we're talking about Hermione here." Lavender scoffed. She shrank a bit as all eyes turned on her.

"No offense Brown, but you don't actually know her." Ginny told her. The youngest Weasley turned back to the group. I bet she went to meet her Secret Admirer."

Ron rolled his eyes. "I thought we decided she was sending that stuff to herself."

"No, Ronniekins, you decided that." Fred replied.

"We think it's perfectly logical that someone would be interested in her." George added.

"She's smart."

"Beautiful."

"Clever."

"Charming."

"Just cause you can't see it,"

"Doesn't mean someone else can't."

Harry saw how red Ron's face was getting and quickly changed the subject. "So, uh, is everyone going to Hogsmeade today?"

"Smooth." Ginny muttered earning a sheepish grin.

xXx

"There you are!" Ginny exclaimed, spotting Hermione as she descended the main staircase.

"Morning." Hermione replied unphased.

"We were worried about you." She continued as she approached dragging Harry along behind her. "You missed breakfast, but we're all headed down to Hogsmeade right now so you can get something there."

"Oh, um, actually, I'm meeting someone. But I'm sure we'll see you down there." Hermione explained.

Ron scoffed as he approached, the rest of their usual table with him. "Who, your secret Admirer?" He sounded skeptical.

Hermione didn't miss a beat. "Secret implies I don't know who he is."

Ron's face was turning red again. And again the ignored him. Had he not been interrupted they were certain he would have exploded.

"Ready to go?" Theo asked as he appeared beside her. Hermione smiled up at him.

"Definitely." She turned back to her friends. "We'll see you down there I'm sure."

And with that they headed for the courtyard.

Ginny grinned after them. "Well, it about time."


End file.
